Sunday, September 17, 2017

A Neo-Realist take for our time on a bel canto classicPhoto credit: Karli Cadel

Lei:
Director Francesca Zambello’s
production of Donizetti’s L’assedio di
Calais should be a case study on how to modernize an opera, respect the
original, and make it relevant to contemporary audiences. The very simple
decision of moving the action from the siege of Calais in 1346-1347 to the 2017
siege of Aleppo brought the point home of just how universal a story this is.

Lui:
The rotating sets designed by James
Noone were mostly comprised of bombed out concrete buildings with bent rebar
poking out all over, an image that is (sadly) immediately recognizable from
headline news in Syria (though they could easily represent any other war zone
in recent memory, from Gaza to Baghdad). Along with Jessica John’s attention to detail in the tatters and rags that
adorned one side of the fight and modern military garb on the other was
sufficient for instantly increasing the emotional charge and relevance of the
piece.

Lei:
There was no need to translate the libretto into English, change
the plot, or take any other Regie
poetic license. The directorial choice to modernize the sets and costumes gave
this nineteenth-century work a contemporary and universal depth that packed a
more immediate punch than if its characters donned medieval armor and carried
swords. War is war and the tragedy of defending’s ones home under siege by a
despotic force remains the same fact of life whether in 1340s France or in 2017
Syria.

Confronting great adversity is a story for all timesPhoto credit: Karli Cadel

Lui:
L’assedio di Calais
is one of those underappreciated gems that fell into oblivion for a number of
at times inexplicable reasons but deserves to be brought back to life. Not only
is the score bursting with wonderful musical moments, but more importantly the
plot and the exploration of its various dramatic tensions are uniquely compelling.

The town of Calais in the north of France is under siege by an
invading English army. The young French hero, Aurelio, is first glimpsed
furtively pilfering supplies from across enemy lines to feed his starved people.
His father Eustachio, the mayor of the besieged city, and his wife Eleonora
open the opera on pins and needles, eagerly awaiting news of their son and
husband, who has skipped town, temporarily.

Aurelio reunites with his father after a scout missionPhoto credit: Karli Cadel

Structurally, the action of the plot revolves around a series of foreboding
situations in which danger and devastation for the folks under siege is somehow
closely averted. These dramatic catalysts are accompanied by corresponding waves
of emotions that run the gamut from despair and sorrow to the sudden return of
hope and joy, only to repeat the cycle again.

The initial preoccupations of father and wife over the fate of our
young hero which resolves in his sudden soothing return is the first event in
the series. The cycle repeats itself with Aurelio’s dream of his son’s abduction
and again with the infiltration of a mole sent by the invading army into the
besieged town.

All rejoice for the safety of the youngPhoto credit: Karli Cadel

The drama then heightens with the arrival of a message from the
English King Edoardo. The city will be freed on the condition that six of its
finest citizens consent to sacrificing and publicly humiliating themselves. The
young hero, his illustrious father and four other brave men all enlist to die
to save their city and loved ones. After many tribulations, and a regina ex machina who intervenes to save
the day, a lesson in compassion is taught to one and all. The siege is lifted
and everyone rejoices together (except maybe King Edoardo who is forced by his
wife to play the enlightened monarch).

Lei:
Assedio feels
like a very unusual departure for Donizetti. It is rife with patriotic themes
in ways that his other operas are not. The plot revolves around the
tribulations of a family broken by war and of the larger tragedy of a
population fighting for survival against an invading power. In a way, this opera
feels like a bridge to Verdi, with its big choruses that advance the plot and
its focus on patria oppressa patriotic
themes.

Also, unlike most Donizetti dramatic operas, there is no prima donna per se to trigger the high drama.
However, the absence of a more traditional tragedy of amorous triangles or
unrequited love or doomed couples does not mean that the opera is less moving
or emotionally compelling. Quite the contrary, Assedio evokes a range of emotions by means of its ensemble cast
and in a way it felt truer than his other work (particularly considering
Zambello’s provocative production).

Lui:
The emotions explored in this opera were incredibly complex and
rich and the excellent Glimmerglass cast was up to the task. Baritone Adrian Timpau, as Eustachio, embodied
both his public role as the leader of men responsible for the welfare the
town’s citizens, but also the very private one as father worrying over the life
of his heroic son and consoling his daughter-in-law and grandson. Timpau displayed
excellent Italian and a well-rounded, agile instrument that managed, together
with his effective acting, to poignantly express the ample spectrum of emotions
of his character.

Timpau’s portrayal of Eustachio was veined by a tragic desperation
that was utterly moving, in particular when he faces the moral dilemma of whether
to sacrifice his life to save his people from suffering further. This terrific
singer appeared as a member of the Glimmerglass Young Artist Program, but his
skill and artistic maturity seemed those of a far more established artist and
in fact, his young age notwithstanding, he was a very convincing town elder,
father and leader figure. I suspect that we’ll be hearing from him again very
soon.

Aurelio and his wife and sonPhoto credit: Karli Cadel

Mezzo Aleks Romano in
the pants role of the young hero Aurelio, together with soprano Leah Crocetto as his wife, vividly represented
the love of a couple whose burgeoning family is threatened by war in their many
husband-wife duets, gripped by joy and by fear but united in their concern for
the future of their son (here played by a heart-wrenching little boy who at one
point is seen kicking his half deflated soccer ball amidst the ruins from the
bombarding).

Publicly, the Aurelio character also embodies an impetuous brave
young man who is driven by principle and eager to fight the oppressor. Vocally,
this role has perhaps the most show-stopping flashy coloratura-filled arias to
sing and Romano embodied them with a seemingly effortless conviction and
passion. Crocetto was an equally impressive singer with a big, luscious voice
and easy high notes that carried duets and ensembles alike.

Lei:
But perhaps one of the most powerful recurring themes of the
evening is that of the love of country and the fierce spirit of resistance
required to fight against an unjust invading power. This was most vividly expressed
by an impressive chorus, and perhaps most memorably in the fierce Act I finale Come tigri di strage anelanti that was
delivered with an electrifying force reminiscent of the Guerra, guerra chorus in Norma.

The men gird themselves for the good of the communityPhoto credit: Karli Cadel

Lui:
Patriotic feelings were also in full display in the moving Act II
finale, with a unique all male sextet of Calais patriots ready to make the
ultimate sacrifice to save their loved ones. This moment was particularly moving
as all six singers were delivering the same lines in solemn prayer-like
fashion, effectively conveying martyrdom.

Patria oppressa, hear my cry!Photo credit: Karli Cadel

Lei: The
emotional charge of this opera, surely enhanced by the modern day framing, was
so powerful that I found myself on the verge of tears
pretty much from the opening chorus, silently sobbing at many junctions
throughout the opera, and really weeping inconsolably in the Act III finale. By
curtain call, I was an emotional wreck, yes, but also exhilarated by such a
cathartic and universal piece of art.

Lui:
In our three years of Glimmerglass experience this was the most
satisfying performance of all – an electrifying discovery with a top-notch
cast, a thought-provoking production, all in all perfectly executed. This
production made a very compelling case for bringing Assedio back into opera houses regular rotations, particularly with
Zambello’s modern take through the Syrian conflict lenses.

The six self-chosen for sacrificePhoto credit: Karli Cadel

Lei:
One can only wish that all modern productions were as successful
as this one. The trick was to find the right analogue in which to set an
otherwise universal story. The Syrian crisis fits the bill, not least of all
because it so powerfully evokes a slew of emotions that struggle to find the
proper cathartic release in the context of current political discourse as well
as in the mainstream media.

Lui:
This is what the arts are for. They provide a forum for exploring
collective sentiments that have a hard time finding a venue in other areas of
life but that we are desperate to confront together as a culture. Seated
collectively in a dark theater, alone together with our thoughts and our
solipsistic emotions, mulling over what it means to be human now and always in
the company of each other – this is the perfect occasion for an intense and
draining exercise in human empathy. It is a beautiful thing what Zambello
achieved here in large part thanks to Donizetti and his librettist. A forgotten
opera found its relevance again and for this we all can be grateful.